If I Can't Have You
by Majorkami
Summary: 5 repairs 7 after a nasty run-in with the Cat Beast. 5x7, mostly fluff. Set after 3, 4, and 7 leave but before 9's arrival. I welcome suggestions for a better title.
1. Chapter 1

**_No, I don't own the movie. Wish I did. This is my first fanfic in a couple years, so I'm a little rusty. Enjoy :)_**

5 scanned another part of the Emptiness with the telescope. 2 had gone out again, alone, and 5 desperately wanted to know he was alright. A bit of motion flickered behind a downed machine and 5 fixed the telescope, hoping to see his friend. Instead he recognized a familiar blue hood. The little stitchpunk looked around quickly then ran towards the sanctuary. 5 scanned around, but didn't see the approaching stitchpunk's twin anywhere.

_I've never seen them apart,_ 5 thought as he abandoned the telescope and raced out of the watch tower, _What's 3 doing out there alone?_

5 burst out the side door of the sanctuary and was promptly bowled over by 3.

"Ahh!" he yelped, thrashing against the other before 3 clamped a hand over his mouth and stared him in the optics. Once 5 was still 3 got off him and grabbed his hand, dragging him towards the Emptiness.

"Wait, 3, wait!" 5 responded, tugging back, "What's wrong? Where are we going? Where's- where's 4?"

3 released the other stitchpunk and allowed him to regain his feet. The shutters in his optics clicked and 3 projected an image against the wall. 5 felt his gears clench painfully as the scene played out nearly life-sized before him. 7, her abdominal seam split from crotch to waist, staggered through an immense stone doorway, dragging one leg badly. The scene changed to 4 hovering by the bedside of an unconscious 7.

5 was so stunned that when 3 went to drag him again he offered no resistance.

* * *

It was worse in real life, 5 decided. 7 was covered up to the neck with a handkerchief but 5 could still hear the uneven whirs and clicks of a damaged gearing system. 4 sat by her side, holding on of her hands in both of his, stroking the back of it with his thumb. He looked up from his vigil as they entered and flickered a sentence at his twin.

"7," 5 murmured, stumbling forward to the bed. The warrior looked so delicate he was afraid to touch her. 5 tripped on something hard near the bed. It was 7's shield, heaped with the rest of her gear by the side of the bed. The shield he'd built to protect her. He couldn't believe this, he wouldn't believe this! 7 was the strongest of them, she... she couldn't...

But she was. And now 7 needed his help. And as much as he wanted to going to pieces in a keening little heap wouldn't do her any good.

5 gently pulled back the handkerchief to expose 7's wound. All the tearing had happened along an existing seam, he noted with forced clinical detachment. That at least would be a simple repair. He murmured an apology as he carefully edged the fabric back to expose 7's gears.

A low growl was all the warning he got. 7 sat up bolt-upright. Metal hands clamped around his throat and dragged him forward, and he found himself staring the now-conscious 7 in the optics.

_She doesn't recognize me,_ 5 thought, trying to beat back his panic as he regarded the battle mask her face had hardened into, _She has no idea what's going on._

3 and 4 stood on either side of him and flickered their optics frenetically at the warrior.

"7, please..." 5 managed to choke out. He thought he saw recognition in her optics.

"5?" she asked. The hands around his throat relaxed, then dropped. Her whole face showed relief, then sagged as she fell back. 5 caught her around the shoulders and eased her back to the bed.

"Sorry for that," she gasped, optics threatening to shutter again. That brief show of strength had taken a lot out of her, 5 thought sadly.

"Don't worry about it," he replied, his voice a little hoarse from the compression of his throat, "There's something off with your gears, I can hear it. Can I take a look?"

She nodded. 5 eased the split seam open, feeling 7's whole body tense around his hands. Two gears were sitting at odd angles on their axles, and a third, way down in her right hip, was badly warped, both gear and axle.

"One of the gears controlling your right leg needs to be replaced, and there's a couple more I'll have to adjust. I could straighten the axle back to normal but it really should be replaced."

"Show me?" 7 asked, propping herself up. 3 and 4 silently supported her back as 5 took 7's hand and led it over the damaged gears.

"This is the one that needs to come out," he told her, touching her fingers to the gear. 7 pressed her lips into a hard line as she felt the contours of the bent gear.

_How does she do it? I'd be screaming by now!_ 5 thought as he watched 7 examine her own damage.

"Go ahead and take it out then," she said at last, lying back down. She placed her arms deliberately at her sides and gripped the bed.

5 sighed. He knew this was going to hurt her.

"4," he said, "Keep her shoulders against the bed. 3, I need you over here to control her legs."

7 said nothing as the twins moved into position.

"If you feel like passing out, don't fight it," 5 told her, "You don't want to be awake for this."

7 gave him a small smile.

"Do what you have to. I'll be fine."

_Here it goes_, 5 thought, gears clenching as he undid the tiny nut holding the gear to its axle. 7's body shuddered as he tried to slide the bent gear off the equally bent axle. It wouldn't budge. The gear wouldn't make it around the bend on the axle, 5 realized. He could try straightening it first, but that would take more strength than he had in his bare hands and he hadn't thought to bring any tools aside from the needle and thread he normally carried in his quiver. The fastest way would be to cut the axle- no, he couldn't do that. Even if he had snips cutting it would hurt 7 too much. He opted instead to unscrew the axle from its moorings and take both it and the gear out as a unit.

It was slow work. The Scientist had built their parts to fit so tightly they'd be unlikely to loosen on their own. 5 silently thanked the human for having screwed so much of their bodies together instead of welding them- how he would have to do this repair if the axle had been welded to 7's internal structure made him shudder. As it was it was taking all the controlled force 5 could muster to unscrew the part at all. 7, for her part, stayed mostly still, mouth clenched shut to stifle the little moans and growls in the back of her throat.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry..." he muttered at every noise she made.

"Don't apologize, just finish it!" she snapped, then firmly shut her mouth to silence a yelp.

"I'm sorry!" he all but wailed, then the parts came loose in his hands. Her left leg spasmed as 5 finally pulled the offending parts free, but 3 kept her from kicking either of them.

"I can't feel my leg," she said.

"That's because the parts aren't connected anymore," 5 told her, trying to sound soothing though he couldn't keep the anxiety out of his voice, "Once you've got new ones it'll be good as new."

The axle separated easily from the gear now that they were connected to nothing else.

"3,4 I have a job for you."

Both twins released 7 and looked at 5 expectantly.

"I need parts exactly like these," he said, holding a broken part in each hand, "Only straight. Bring back anything you find that's close."

Their shutters flickered as they analyzed the parts, then they bounded from the room.

"I'm really sorry about that," 5 said as he put down the parts and took 7's hand.

"I told you not to apologize," 7 admonished him, then smiled, squeezing his hand in response.

"I've missed you."

"I've missed you too," he replied. His single optic met hers. He could almost feel himself melt as he held her gaze. He'd missed her so much. 5 found himself leaning forward, bringing his face close to 7's. Tilting his head slightly, to avoid their optics colliding. She wasn't pushing him away, he realized suddenly as he tried to find the courage to bring their lips together.

"So," she said, their lips almost touching "Now that you know where we've been hiding are you going to stay?"

5 pulled back, flustered, and released her hand to play with his fingers nervously.

"I, uh, well..."

He trailed off, his optic coming to rest on her injury. He left his spot near her head to lean over the split seam instead.

"I should fix those other gears."

7 let him fiddle with her gears as she stated, "Answer the question. Are you staying here or not?"

"You know I couldn't leave 2 there alone with 1 and 8," he replied, tilting a gear back into alignment, "And who'd look after 6?"

7 bit back a hiss, then said, "So bring them. There's lots here for 2 to tinker with, and we could all take care of 6."

5 glanced at 7's face sadly, then turned back to his work.

"2 won't leave 1. I honestly don't get what 2 sees in him, but 2 won't leave 1 and I won't leave 2. I'm really sorry."

"You say sorry way too much," 7 replied sullenly, shuttering her optics. 5 sighed, silently correcting the remaining gear. He withdrew his hands.

"It's best to leave the seam open until all the parts are fixed- unless it's hurting you too much."

"I'm fine," 7 growled, then opened her optics. She just couldn't stay mad at 5.

"I'm fine, really," she told him in a softer voice, "I trust your judgment."

They were silent a moment, then 5 asked, "How'd you get hurt like this anyway?"

"I got on the wrong end of the cat beast's claws."

5 gulped, trying not to picture a massive claw skewering 7's midsection.

"I wasn't aware there was a right end to the cat beast's claws. How did you escape from it?"

7 smirked, "I'd already crippled one of its paws. I crippled the one it got me with before I got the damned claw out of my gears. It's not a fast runner with two broken paws. If its medic is half as good as mine though it'll be back soon."

5 blushed at the compliment, "2's much better at this stuff then I am."

"That doesn't diminish your skills any," 7 replied, then the twins burst into the room. 3 had a pile of gears in his arms stacked to his optics and 4 carried so many lengths of fine metal posts that he was having trouble not dropping them.

"Perfect! Right over here guys!" 5 told them, and started picking through the pieces the twins placed at his feet. Most of the gears were too big, but halfway through the pile he found one with the same central circumference and same sized hole for mounting onto an axle. The teeth were too long, but he could alter those. It was the best fit of all the gears the twins had salvaged. Most of the metal posts they'd brought had no threads for screwing them in to 7's structure, but he'd already resigned himself to having to custom carve the threads anyway. He selected a sturdy bar of the right width that was three times the necessary length.

"I'll have to modify this stuff to make it work properly. Unless you've built a work shop here I'll need to go back to the Sanctuary."

"If that's what it takes," 7 replied, "But don't tell anyone you saw us. Not even 2. The last thing we need is 8 tromping in here to drag the twins back there."

"I won't, I promise. I'll be back soon!"


	2. Chapter 2

5 kept the parts hidden inside him until he reached the work shop.

"There you are!" 2 said from behind his work bench, "I was getting worried. It's not like you to venture out alone. Are you alright?"

"Fine, perfectly," he lied. Okay, he was physically fine, so it wasn't really a lie, right?

"Are you sure? You look like there's something on your mind."

"I'm just tired. I've got a project to work on."

Now he had 2's interest, "Really? Come on, let's see."

5 was tempted to explain the whole thing to 2, and maybe get the inventor to accompany him on the return trip. But he had promised 7 he wouldn't. Still, 2 had an eye for the fine work the axle would require, and the work would go quicker with both of them.

5 pulled the replacement parts from his burlap along with the damaged ones and set them out on 2's work bench.

"I can't tell you where I got these," 5 said nervously, "But I need to make these parts capable of replacing these broken ones."

"These aren't yours I hope- but no, you're not limping," 2 replied, studying the parts. Then realization dawned across his face.

"I know you won't tell me much about these parts," the inventor said at last, "But at least tell me- are they alive?"

5 smiled at his mentor.

"All three of them."

"Right."

2 picked up the bent axle and turned it over in his hands.

"You work on that gear. Let's get to it then."

They'd been at work for about fifteen minutes when 1 barged into the work shop with 8 at his heels.

"So you're back, then," 1 said coolly, eying 5, "What have you got your hands on now?"

5 shrank under his elder's gaze, absurdly thankful for the bench between him and their leader. He avoided 1's optics, he just knew that with one glance 1 would be able to drag 7's secret from him. Fortunately 2 spoke up.

"My new hip joint," 2 said, getting up from his work bench with a noticeable limp, "I took a bad fall earlier and this one's warped now. The boy was kind enough to go fetch me some replacement parts to work with."

2 smiled at 8, then 1.

"I'd like him to finish up as soon as possible. The slipping is starting to get to me."

1 sighed.

"I suppose his absence was necessary then," he replied, "But remember how dangerous it is out there."

"I could hardly forget, after a fall like that," 2 said cheerfully, "But I might have to send 5 out again for more parts. The struts in my knee are acting up too."

Not until 1 and 8 left did 5 dare to look up.

"Why do you put up with him?" 5 asked his mentor.

"He means well, my boy, he really does," 2 replied, plunking himself back down at his bench.

"Now come on. Those teeth aren't going to file themselves."

* * *

Four hours later 5 was picking his way through the dusk to the remaining stitchpunk's new hideout. 7 appeared to be sleeping when he entered the room, handkerchief pulled back up to her neck, with 3 and 4 curled up on either side of her. Her optics opened immediately.

"Good to see you," she said, yawning, then shuddering suddenly as her body reminded her she was injured.

"I've got your parts ready," he told her.

"So soon?"

"2 helped," 5 admitted, "But I didn't tell him anything."

7 sighed, "He probably figured it out anyway. Oh well. Maybe knowing we're alive will help convince him to join us."

"I hope so."

5 found himself hating 1 with a new passion. If 1 weren't so bossy, narrow-minded, authoritarian... they could all live together. Then he wouldn't have to choose between the mentor he loved as a father and the warrior he loved.

5 approached the bed and gently tapped 3. The twin's eyes unshuttered and flickered at him.

"You need to move," 5 said, showing 3 the parts. 3 sat up and shook 4 awake, and with a quick flickering conversation both twins were out of the bed. 4 went to the head of the bed and placed both hands on 7's shoulders, and 3 pressed lightly on 7's legs.

5 smiled at them.

"Quick studies."

"It's what they do," 7 replied. 5 moved the handkerchief aside.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Do it."

5 eased the seam open and set to work screwing in the new axle. It fit perfectly, which 5 had never doubted. 2 did good work. He cranked it as hard as he could without stripping the threads, trying to ignore the shudder of pain from 7 as he did so. The new parts wouldn't do her any good if they fell out.

"Try not to move for this next part," 5 said as he lined up the gear with the axle.

"What do you think I've been doing?" 7 muttered, trying not to tense everything as 5 slid the gear into place. It went in easily, and in a few minutes 5 had the bolt holding it on the axle screwed tight.

"Let's see if it works now," 5 said. The twins took that as their cue to release 7. They watched in anticipation as 7 flexed her right leg, then bent it at the knee and kicked out experimentally.

"You were right, good as new," she said. 5 started threading a needle.

"Be easy on it for the next day or so," he told her as he lined up her split seam to sew it shut, "It looks like the Scientist designed the threads on those parts to tighten as the gears move but you don't want to jar them out until they do."

"I'll try to be careful."

5 had the distinct sense 7 would be fighting cat beasts again within days.

"Please be careful with yourself," he pleaded between stitches, "It hurts to see you like this."

She snorted, replying, "It hurts to be like this."

He tied off the thread and cut it with the knife from his quiver. 7 got to her feet and picked up her gear. 3 and 4 put hands on both of her arms and flickered at her.

"They're right, you really should rest, at least til morning," 5 said.

"I will," she replied, "But this is 3 and 4's bed. My room's down this way."

She turned to the twins.

"I'm okay guys, don't worry. Why don't you research gears now in case something like this happens again?"

At the mention of research 3 and 4 let 7 be and started scaling a nearby bookcase.

"Is that safe?" 5 asked.

"They have lots of practice," 7 replied, "They know that bookcase inside and out. Come on."

5 followed 7 into the hallway.

"I should go. 2 will worry himself over me."

"Not even I cross the Emptiness at night unless I have to," 7 told him, "Stay until morning, at least, since you're not staying permanently. I'm sure 2 would rather have you wait until its safer."

5 glanced through a window at the pitch-blackness outside. No, he wouldn't be going anywhere in _that_.

"Okay, you win," 5 replied, "Guess I should find somewhere to sleep."

"My bed's big enough," 7 said. 5 stopped stock-still.

_Did 7 just invite me into her bed?_

He realized abruptly that 7 hadn't stopped walking and scurried to catch up.

The space 7 had picked for herself was small by this stone monolith of a building's standards. A massive wooden wardrobe dominated one wall, a dressing table and chair another. The room was surprisingly free of books save one thick dictionary on the floor that appeared to be functioning as a work table. Pieces of metal littered its surface along with a sharpening stone and a few completed blades. Staves of various lengths and thicknesses lay propped against the side.

"Over here."

7 led 5 to the far side of the wardrobe, where a doorway just big enough for any stitchpunk except 8 had been cut into the wood. 7 propped her spear and helmet by the door and ducked into the darkness within.

"Come on," she called from inside the wardrobe, then clicked on a penlight. 5 entered, and by its light could see that the wardrobe was empty, save for one coat at the far end. 7 had built her bed in the centre out of an old blouse, the red silk retaining some of its sheen despite its age. A large dagger lay above the head of the bed, and as 5 watched 7 placed her shield next to it.

"It's safer in here," 7 explained, "And warmer too."

"Do you always keep a weapon handy?" 5 asked.

7 smiled and sat on the bed.

"Always."

She patted the space next to her.

"Relax. You've had nearly as long a day as I have."

5 sat wordlessly. His gears were whirling so fast he had to be vibrating. 7 plucked up her blanket and passed it to 5.

"Lie down."

"You know I still get nightmares. Nothing like 6's, but I might wake you if I stay here."

"All the more reason you shouldn't be left alone in a strange place. Lie down. I'll get the light."

"I could do that," he said, but she responded by pressing him down to the bed.

"You don't know your way around the room," she replied, then she was up. The light clicked out a moment later. 7's footsteps were so light 5 couldn't tell where she was until he felt her slide into the bed next to him. He passed her the blanket, then curled onto his side facing away from her.

"Save some for yourself," her voice came from the darkness next to him.

"It might not be big enough," he replied.

"I can fix that."

5 felt the blanket being thrown over him, then 7's arms slid around him, one beneath his neck, the other around his chest. He found himself relaxing in her grasp despite his nerves.

"Are you comfortable?" 7 asked.

"Yes," 5 replied, "Thank you."

7 squeezed him a little tighter.

"If I can't have you I can at least keep you for a night."

5 tried to think of a good response, but before he had one he felt 7's body relax into sleep.

"I hope the morning never comes," he told the sleeping warrior. 5 tried to stay awake as long as possible, to savour the feeling of 7 pressed against him and pretend that all was right with the world. That there were no machine beasts hunting their kind. That all of them could live together without problems. That he could spend every night this close to 7. 5 fell asleep soon after. He slept like a baby.

* * *

Early the next morning 7 escorted 5 most of the way back to the Sanctuary.

"This is as far as I go," 7 said, tipping her helmet up as they stopped behind a car, "I can't have those guys seeing me."

"I won't say a word," 5 replied.

"I know."

They stared at each other wordlessly for a moment.

"Thank you for the repairs."

"Oh, no problem. Any time."

More staring. Then before 5 knew what was happening 7 grabbed him and kissed him full on the lips. The kiss was over almost as soon as it began, then 7 dropped her helmet and raced off into the Emptiness. 5 stood there stunned for a moment, raising a hand to touch his lips. He was elated, because _7_ had just kissed _him_, but he knew the odds of seeing her again were low as long as he stayed at the Sanctuary.

_But if I could convince 2 to leave it wouldn't be a problem taking 6 with us..._ he thought as he started towards home. Until then he would miss her.


End file.
